Punching machine



Jan. 2, 1940. R. T. BLAKELY 2,185,685

' PUNCHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'ATTRNEY R. T. BLAKELY PUNCHING MACHINE Jan. 2, 1940.

Filed Aug. l2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Plas.

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l l i rimadisaalm' UNI-TED sTATEs" PATENT y o1=1=1c11A I 1s.1sii.1us

noun '1'. annulmnnwa. N. s.. minor to International Business Machines Corporation New York. N. Y., a corporation lof New York Application samt 12. ma. serum. zum

1e 0mm. (c1. 11n-114) This invention pertains to improvements in machines for performing punching operations on recordcardssuchasareusedintabulating machines.

5 For some in connection with tabulating machine accounting, it is necessary to have a number of duplicate cards .punched exactly alike.

Some of the previous machines of this class are capable onlyl of duplicating cards having but a single perforation in a card column.

One machine of the single perforation type is that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,916,966 to J. M. cunmnsm ings of a single pattern card in any desired number of detail cards. `One object of the present invention is to improve machines such as the one disclosed in the above-mentioned patent to enable combinations] or single hole data duplication to be made in detail cards.

9 The object is further to provide a gangpunching mechanism, which will performduplication in a plurality of columns of detail cards from pattern cards having one or more perforations in each card column.

Another object is to provide novel means to effect dimlication in detail cards of plural punching in one or more columns of a pattern card Another object is to transfer-by use of variably associable and interrelated combinations] control elements; for example, interposers, intelligence codes from one card to one or more cards.

Another object is to provide recording mechanism controlled by variably associable interposers.

,.35 Another object is to provide a novel form of interposing mechanism for punching orother recording mechanism and which includes a plurality of separable interposers adapted for common or individual adJustment.

40 Thelatter object is, further, to provide for releasable actuation by one separable interposer part of another interposer part.

stm further. the object 1s to prende means for interrupting said actuation between parts of the interposermechanism by and upon the setting of one such interposer part in selected recording control position.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection oi' the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts u hereinafter set forth and claimed.

`whMLduplicates the punch- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the interposer mechanism in. one stage of its operated position.v as applied to a gang punch similar to that of 'the Cunningham patent.

Fig. 2A shows tneinterper 1n its ansi operated position.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the driven interposer element. 1 Fig. 4 is a detail view of the driving interposer element.

Fig. 5 is a view showing how the driving interposer element actuates the driven interposer element. l5

Fig. 6 is a view showing how the driving" elef' ment pawl assumes an operating position when the driven element is stopped.

Fig. 'I is a cross-section end view taken substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 1 to show the guidgg ing means for the interposers.

' This machine is primarily intended for transferring combinational as well as single index point punchings of one record card to one or more detail cards. Combinational or single hole g5 punchings in one card iield maybe referred to as a data designation, intelligence, infomation.

item, or indicia code. While the invention-is shown for purposes of the disclosure as applied to punching means, it so -is understood that it may also be applied to any other suitable recording means, such as, for examp1e,"eflects printing under control of an interposer setup.

A general understanding of the machine and .85 its operation may be obtained from Fig. 1 which is substantially the same as a portion of Fig. 2 in the Cunningham patent. A pattern card i0 is first placed in position underneath pattern pins In the-invention herein disclosed this pattern 40 card may have any `combination of holes or intelligence codes in one or more of its columns. All pins that register with holes in the pattern card drop through the perforations and cooperate with the interposer elements labeled 2M. 203. Coop- 4U eration with the interposer elements renders effective the proper. punches to perforate the blank card I4 then between the die plates.

The blank cards are fed one by one from any suitable supply and in any suitable manner, as B0 for example in the manner ofthe above mentioned Cunningham patent, to a position under the punches and, after punching, the card is removed by nippers I9 and deposited in a discharge stock, not shown. which may be of any Il v elements, and other moving devices may be of any suitable type asfor example in the Cunningham patent previously mentioned, and since same forms no part of theinvention no driving means is disclosed herein.

Referring to Fig. 1, 3l indicates the pin box structure which may be raised orlowered by any suitable means, one method being as in the vCun'- ningham patent. The pin-box 3l is raised and a pattern card I placed in position onthe. plate 00.

When the pin box 3l is lowered a pin I I rests o or passes through each index position.

'I'he pattern card is exactly located by fixedpins in a manner well explained in U. S'. patent to C. D. Lake N0. 1,817,631.

All pins I I that find perforations in the pattern card drop through the holes until their enlarged upper portions rest on upper plate 02, in which position the lower ends of the pins arein position to cooperate with the interposer 'elements 20|, 202 as will be explained. j

Referring now to Fig. 3 there is shown a driven element 202. Driven refers here to the fact that element 202 is driven by element 20|. This is fashioned as shown in a modified rectangular channel section having the lower edge open. In Fig. 4 is shown'the driving element 20| adapted tot inside the channel of element 202. Member 20| is composed of abuilt-up section comprising two side pieces203, 204 of suitable material as spring steel fastened to-a spacing member 205 by rivets 200. 205 is made of steel or any other hard metal. The right hand end of side pieces 203, 204 is ribbed slightly as at 201. This ribbed projection forms the driving connection for element 20| to drive element 202.

The spacing member is cut outas at 200, see

also Fig. 5. Within the cutout .portion 208, a

pawl 200 is fastened to the side plates by pin 2I0.

This pawl is spring urged in a clockwise direction by means of a spring 2'II. The pawl 200 is limited in its clockwise rotation by means of stop 2I2 as shown in Fig. 6. Each `element 20| is provided with rack teeth 2I3 in the side pieces 203, 204. vThe teeth M3,` see Fig. 1, engage with thev gears I free to turn on shaft 4I with friction disks 52 between" the gears. The shaft is splined and eachfriction disk has projections fitting into the splines, so the disks must turn with the shaft. Any suitable means may beutilized to press the assembly of gears El and disks 52 together so when shaft 4I rotates, gears 5I are'. driven by friction with disks 52. A very practical coil spring means is mentioned in the aforesaid Cunningham patent and could be used here as well. If any-gear meets with sumcient resistance to overcome friction with the disks it will stop, while the disks in contact with it will continue to turn with the shaft. The method of actuating the interposer elements to control punching will now be described.

Normally after4 the insertion of the pattern card I0, Fig. 1, 'and lowering of the pin box unit 3| all interposer elements are to the right of the extreme right hand pin II. The interposer element is inside the element 202 as in Fig. 5. The projections 201 abut against the end of driven element 202. As the shaft 4I, see Fig. 1,

`is rotated counterclockwise by any suitable pawl 200 is in an inoperative position being held so by the part of element 20 2 which-restricts its movement. When the element 202 encounters a pattern pin II a's shown in Fig. 1, the projections 201 come closer togetherand enter the channel of 202 as shown in Fig. 6, and the ele- -ment 20| continues to move to the left as shown in- Element 2 02 is now abutting firmly lagainst vthe rst pin I I -which is through the card I0. Due to friction of 202 againstit the' pin Il is prevented from rising as the pawl. 200 carried -by 20| continues to the left. As soon vas the pawl 200 has passed out of engagement with 202 and Figs. 2 and 6. The'pln 2| 2 rstrains its upward movement to prevent'it from entering any pat- \tern pin hole in plate 00.- As the element 20| continues to the left its pawl now encounters the next pattern pin II, see Fig. 2, and the element 20| is now stopped. 'I'he shaft 4I continues to rotate, but due to the friction drive between 4I I and 5I the gear 02 for the interposer shown also `1 stops its movement. Any elements not encountering pattern pins .continue to the left to a po- *sition where they will be ineffective.

-Any element stopped by a pattern pin has its upwardly projecting shoulder against the pin. while its downward projection is directly over the punch I3 corresponding to the pattern pin above it. There is an interposer unit for each index column on the card. n The punches I3 are guided at their upper ends `by plate 03,- Fig. v1, and at their lower ends by plate 54. Upper plate 03 is xed in position and is grooved on its upper side to guide the vin-f terposer bars 20|, 202. Lower plate 04 is mov.` able. vertically in any suitable manner as for ex-l ample bybushings and columns as inthe y('iunningham patent previously mentioned. Grooved plate fast to plate 03, serves as the upper guide for the interposer bars.

Fast to-upper guide plate 03 is a series of downwardly projecting T-bars 01, and fast-to the lower guide plate-54 is a corresponding series of upwardly projecting T-bars 50. Each punch I3 is notched on itsside and the above-mentioned T- bars are so located between the punches that ev'ery punch I0 engages, by means of itsnotch.

patent. By means of suitable cams and followers said die plate is given one up and down reciprocation every card cycle.-

At the bottom of the stroke of the die plate it is separated from guide plate 54 suilicientlyto allow the .card I4 to be readily slipped between them.

After the blank card I4 is in position on die plate 50, the plate 50 and lower guide plate I4 and the card I 4 areraised upwardly as previously mentioned. Any punch directly underneath a projection of an interposer element is prevented from moving upwardly and is forced through the card, making a perforation corresponding in location to the hole directly above it inthe pattern card. All lunrestrained punches are borne freely upwardly by card I4 and punchno holes. Following this all punches and parts previously forced upwards'are restored to their home position. During this downward motion all punches are restored to their home positions by 51 and I0.'

T-bars There is an interposer unit zal, mmf every 'n column on the card with as elements as vthere may be possible punchings in the pattern tending the structure shown to a further degree more than two inte'rposer elements may be utilized for each column in order to punch combinational designations of a code in which a character may be represented by more than two holes in a column.

All other operations incidental to feeding the card and controlling the machine may be done as was mentioned previously in the same'manner as in the Cunningham patent. Since these form no part ofthe invention it is believed unneces-4 sary to disclose same herein.

While there has been shown 'and described and pointed outv thev fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modiilcation it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in' the form and details o! the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a punching machine to be controlled by 'data codes on a control sheet, the combination of punching apparatus to'perforate index` positions of a work sheet with combinational hole designations, a plurality of relatively positionable interponents effective in accordance with their relative positions to selectively control operation of the punching apparatus to punch diiferent ccmbinanonal designations 1n sind work sheet. means controlled by a data code on the control sheet for determining the relative positions of the interponents to control the punching apparatus for punching a combinational designation in a eld of the work sheet dependent upon the latter data code. and a singlev actuating means common to all the interponents for actuating the interponents to the relative positions determined by the first-mentioned means.

2. In a punching machine; the combination of punching apparatus to perforate index positions'` of a record sheet with combinational hole designations, a plurality of relatively posltionable interponents, effective in accordance with their relative positions to selectively control operation of the punching apparatus to punch diiferent combinational designations in said record sheet, designation selecting means, means controlled by the latter for selectively determining the relative positions of the interponents to control the punching means for punching a single combinational designation in a field of the record sheet corresponding to the designation selecting means, and a single actuating means for actuating the relatively positionable interponents to the positions determined by the secondmentioned means. Y

3. In a punching machinerthe combination of punching means to perforate index positions in a plurality of columns of a record sheet with combinational hole designations, sets of relatively movable interposer elements, one set for each of the record sheet columns, the interposers of each set being effective in accordance with their relative positions to control operation of the punching means to punch different. designations inthe associated column, a designation selecting means for selecting combinational ldesignations to be punched in each said column. devices controlled by the selecting means for determining the relative positions of the interposer elements of eachl set in accordance with the designation selected for the associated column and a single actuating meansfor actuating the interposer elements of a set to the positions determined by the said devices.

4. In a recording machine; the combination of recording means to record combinational designations on a record sheet, a plurality of relatively movable interponents selectively settable relatively for controlling operation of the recording means for recording dlilerent combinational designations corresponding to different. selected relative settings of the interponents, and a single actuatingmeans for actuating the interponents to the selected settings.

5. In combination; means for recording combinational index point data, means to feed plural column records successively to a recording position, interponent means for each record column, said interponent means comprising interposer elements ,movable with respect to each other to selected relative positions for controlling operation of the recording means to record in the associated column, combinational control means for positioning said elements relatively to each other in accordance with the data to be recorded in the associated column, and means for moving said elements in the same direction to the relative positions selected by the combinational control means.

6. .A record perforating mechanism comprising means to feed plural column records successively to a punching position, interponent means for each record column, said interponent means comprising interposerelements movable with respect to each other, combinational control means for selectively, relatively positioning said elements, in accordance withdaium to be punched in the associated column, a single actuating means for actuating the interposer elements to the relative positions determined by the combinational control means. and punching means controlled by said elements to perforate each record column in accordance with the relative positions of the associated interposer elements.

7. In a punching machine operating under control of a pattern sheet; the combination of punching means to perforate index positions in a. plurality of columns of a record sheet with combinational hole designations, a set of interponents for each record sheet column relatively movable to selectively control operation of the punching means to punch a plurality of index positions of a column to represent a combinational designation, designation selecting means controlled by the pattern sheet for determining the relative positions of the interponents of each said set in accordance with the designation to be punched in the corresponding column, and means for actuating the interponents of each set in the same direction to the relative positions determined by the designation selection means.

8. Punching apparatus to convert designations of a pattern card into combinational punchings in columns of a record card, comprising a column of punches to punch a column of the record card, inter-poser elements for the column of punches Aselectively settable relatively to each other to determine the combination of punches of the punch column to be operated, and means controlled by a designation in the' pattern card tol selectively determine the setting of the column interposer elements relatively in accordance with the designation, and actuating means common to the interposer elements of the column for actuating each said element to the relative setting determined by the mst-named means.

9. In a recording machine; the combination of recording means to record combinational index point designations on a record sheet and a plurality of relatively movable interponents selectively settable according to a designation to be recorded, one of said interponents being a driving element for advancing another said interponent to a position to select one of the index points of the designation for recording, means controlled by the setting of the latter interponent for rendering the driving element eective'to be positioned in accordance with another of the index points of the aforesaid designation, and means for operating the recording means under control of the interponents, and in accordance withtheir index point positions, for recording combinational designations.

10. A punching machine adapted to transfer I combinational punched index point information from a plurality of columns in a. pattern card to a plurality of columns in one.or more detail cards,`

comprising an interposer unit for each card colvumn comprising a plurality of interposer elements movable with respect to each other, punches controlled by the interposer elements of the interposer unit to punch the associated column of the detail card, positioning mechanism controlled by the pattern card according to punched information in a columnthereof to control the relative positioning of the elements of said interposer unit for controlling the punches to punch the associated column with corresponding information, and said interposer elements of the unit being`arranged and mounted to move in the same direction to the relative positions controlled by the pattern card.

11. A punching apparatus comprising feeding means to feed detail cards, each having a plurality of columns to receive index point perforations, punching mechanism comprising columns of punches and dies coacting therewith for punching a detail card fed between them, a set of relatively movable interposer elements for each column of punches, and .means controlled by a combination of perforations in a pattern card for relatively positioning the interposer elements of said punch column to control the operation of the latter to punch the associated column with corresponding information, and said interposer elements of the unit being arranged and mounted to move in the same direction to the relative positions controlled by the pattern card.

12. In a punching machine having a plurality of punches arranged in columns; the combination of designation selecting means for selecting designations to be punched, a plurality of punch interponent elements for each punch `column and positionable relatively to each other under control of the designation selecting means to render operative a plurality of punches in a single column of punches to punch a selected designation, said elements being releasably coupled together for common movement to position one said element under control of the designaaiaaess tion v'selecting means and releasable upon the positioning of the latter element to enable another ofthe elements to continue moving to the position therefor determined by the selecting means. v

13. A punching apparatus including in'combi'- nation, a column of punches, a corresponding column of stops, designationselecting means for selectively setting said stops, and a plurality of punch interponent elements independently and o punches in asingle column of punches, said el ments being releasably coupled together for common movement until one said element is arrested by one of the selectively set stops and releasable upon the arrest of the latter element to enable another of the elements to continue moving until arrested by another stop.

14. In a punching machine for punching combinational index point data in columns of a. record, an interposer set for each record column comprising a irst interposer element and means for driving the latten-asecond element vdriven by the iirst element, positioning means for determining the positioning of the rst and second elements and acting iirst on the driven element, means under control of the second driven element to prevent the iirst element from cooperating with the positioning means until the secof the positioning means, and punches selected for operation under control of and in accordance with the positioning of said elements.

driven by the irstvelement,r means for actuating the driving element, and through the latter actulond element has been positioned under control l ating the driven element, a plurality of positioning members one or 'more of which are selected for operation in accordance with the selection of single or combinational index point data to be punched, at least one of said selected members acting rst on the second, driven element to stop actuation thereof and to position the latter for punch control, means for thereupon rendering vthe iirst driving element eiective for cooperation with a selectedl member, said drivingelement moving to an idle, ineifective lpunch control position in the absence of selection of more than one said member, and means controlled by the elements for punching the record column with datum dependent upon the positionsvof the elements.

16. In ,a` punching machine for punching combinational index point data in columns of a record, an interposer set comprising' a rst interposer element and impositive driving means for driving the latter, a second element releasably driven by the rst element, a plurality of positioning means for determining the positioning of the rst and second elements and acting iirst on the second driven element, means under con-v trol of the second driven element to prevent the first element from cooperating with the positioning means until the second element has been positioned under control of the positioning means and released from the ijirst element, and punches selected for operation under control of and in accordance with the positioning of said elements.

t ROBERT 'I'. BLAKELY.

l0 selectively cooperating with the stops according L to their setting to render operative a plurality 

